Family Law

The breakup of a marriage is a difficult experience. Our attorneys understand the difficulty of divorce and often assist with more than just the legal issues involved in divorce. We can also recommend books on divorce, divorce stress, and helping children involved in a divorce.

Michigan is a no-fault divorce state. This means you do not have to prove fault to get a divorce. However, the words “no fault” can be misleading, as a judge may consider fault in deciding spousal support, property, parenting time, or custody.

How quickly your divorce will be completed depends on many factors. When minor children are involved, a divorce cannot be finalized until six months after the complaint is filed. Even if there are no minor children, the process requires a minimum of 60 days. The time starts to count on the day the complaint is filed.

Most divorce cases are settled – the parties eventually reach an agreement, which is entered on the record as an order of the court. You should not agree to anything that you do not understand. After an agreement is placed on the record, as a general rule, it cannot be changed.

To ensure the best possible result in your matter, you should discuss the following topics with your attorney:

Recent News

GGTM is proud to announce that our own J. Scott Timmer was elected by his peers to serve on the Council for the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan at the Section’s annual meeting on July 21, 2017. The Council term is three years. Scott has been an active member of the Real Property Law Section for a number of years. Scott served as a co-chair for the Section’s Summer Conference for 2015 and 2016. Scott currently chairs the Section’s “Homeward Bound” seminars and acts as the coordinator for the Section’s Residential Transactions and Finance...
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Today marks a significant milestone for GGTM. We opened the doors on April 18, 2012 and have been going strong ever since. Thanks to all our loyal clients, families and supporters who have made the Firm a success!...
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Daniel R. Olson has joined Gielow Groom Terpstra & McEvoy (“GGTM”), adding strength and experience to the firm’s growing legal team. Dan brings the number of attorneys now practicing at GGTM to seven and also brings with him 15 years’ experience as a general litigator, having handled cases from the local district court to the U.S. Supreme Court. Dan’s unique background and experience are valuable assets to GGTM and its clients. After graduating summa cum laude from Michigan State University, Detroit College of Law, in 2002, Dan spent two years as a clerk for Justice Stephen J. Markman (now...
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Gielow Groom Terpstra & McEvoy is a boutique law firm that concentrates its practice on the representation of businesses, business owners and entrepreneurs. We offer broad experience in business, real estate, environmental, litigation, family law, estate planning and probate matters. We combine our experience and expertise with the most efficient technology, systems and staffing models to deliver timely and quality legal services at an affordable price. Our focus on specific areas of law enhances our expertise and eliminates a “learning curve” expense for our clients. We price our services so that our clients can afford to leverage our vast experience without fear of having their matters delegated to less-experienced associates.